


Amber's Escape

by toushindai (WallofIllusion)



Series: Lotto Valentino Gems [2]
Category: Baccano!
Genre: Gem Fusion, Gen, Steven Universe AU, gem au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-02-13
Updated: 2017-02-13
Packaged: 2018-09-23 23:00:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,532
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9685931
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WallofIllusion/pseuds/toushindai
Summary: A mob of angry humans stalks Lotto Valentino, pursuing the gems that live in the city, and Huey and Monica are cornered. But if they work together, there's a way they can both escape.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Gem AU of some 1705 events! Huey is a Black Spinel; Monica is a Pink Tourmaline. More details [here](http://toushindai.tumblr.com/post/157103047760/mask-maker-trio-gems-and-fusions-heights-are).

“Something’s coming!”

Monica’s hand yanked Huey back suddenly, into an alley. The pressed themselves against the wall as the light of numerous torches began to shine down the wider street.

In truth, Huey was glad for the pause. He hadn’t run this much in—months? years? maybe _ever_ —and he could feel his form trembling, hovering on the edge of dissipation. He was already lightheaded. But he was not yet faint enough to fail to notice just who was carrying the torches as they came closer.

Monica pressed her free hand over her mouth as her eyes widened.

“What… why… what… _is_ this?”

Throngs of humans swarmed the streets. And they were _armed_. With cudgels, with kitchen knives, with rolling pins and hammers and pans—

Huey felt Monica’s hand tighten around his. She was looking down the alleyway, obviously intending to get moving again, but light began to creep up the opposite end of the alley as well. If they didn’t get out of this fast, they’d be trapped.

“We have to run,” Monica whispered.

Huey shook his head. “I can’t run anymore.”

Panic showed on Monica’s face. “We _have_ to, Huey—”

But it wasn’t _we_ , Huey thought. Monica had the power to turn invisible. It would be an easy thing for her to abandon him here and slip between the crowds on her own. If she weren’t so foolishly enamored of him, surely she would do just that.

Since she _was_ in love with him, though… a thought occurred to Huey that made a chill run down his back. He looked at Monica, watched her eyes flit between the two ends of the alley and then always, always back to him. Would her fondness of him force her to take a risk for his sake? And could he trust her? If they escaped together to where he had in mind, would she keep his secret?

He made his decision and squeezed her hand.

“Monica…” he said in a low voice. “Have you ever fused before?”

She froze, her eyes locked onto him.

“F-fused?”

His voice still low, he laid out his case as quickly as he could. “I know only gems of the same kind are supposed to fuse. But I’ve seen what happens when gems of different kinds fuse. They become a new, _stronger_ gem that still has the powers of its constituents. …Monica, you can turn invisible. If you fuse with me, the fusion will have that power. We’ll be able to escape, together.”

Monica remained motionless, her eyes wide. There was something unreadable in their depths, and Huey couldn’t tell whether she was convinced by what he was saying. He pressed forward.

“I can’t get out of this on my own, Monica. I can’t turn invisible and I’m out of energy. If I try to run any more, I’d probably dissipate and who knows what that lot would do to me? Of course, you could always just save yourself…”

“N-no! Huey, I couldn’t…!” Tears sprung to Monica’s eyes and she gave her head a little shake. “I would never just abandon you!”

 _You should_ , Huey thought but didn’t say. He waited for Monica’s next words.

She bit her lower lip and then finally gave a shaky nod.

“Okay, I’ll do it.”

Huey hid a sigh of relief. “Thank you. Now, to fuse, I think we have to—”

“Dance, right?”

Monica put her free hand on Huey’s shoulder, assuming a pose that was characteristic of court dances—not the folk dances Huey remembered from his village. His hesitation made Monica pull back in alarm.

“I’m s-sorry, I thought that was how—”

“No, it’s fine. You’re right, we have to dance. Do you know how to lead? I don’t think I know this kind of dance.”

“It’s really just back and forth… Um, we can do a different kind of dance if you want…”

“This one’s fine. We don’t have much time.” Huey put his hand on Monica’s waist, and hers returned to his shoulder. He could see her flush with her shyness, hardly able to meet his gaze but unable to look away, either.

A shout from outside the alley made them both flinch, and then all of a sudden Monica stepped into the dance, leading Huey in a simple square shape without speaking and without looking at him. There was something frantic in her movements, but Huey shut that out, shut out the townspeople’s shouts and the thought of the past and for just a moment focused only on her.

And then—

Something _shifted_.

A light shone in the alley and they weren’t dancing anymore, they weren’t _he and she_ anymore. They were—something smooth and golden—

“Amber?” murmured an unfamiliar voice that came from their throat as they looked down at the gem set above their heart. Then there was another shout from outside the alley. They jumped and faded from sight.

“Let’s go,” they whispered to—themself—and slipped towards the edge of the alley to watch for a break in the mob.

Monica was accustomed to moving without being able to see her own limbs, but Amber was not used to _being_ ; they were taller than their instincts expected and it took them a moment to find their coordination. Not long, though. Their invisibility gave them a bit of leeway, but they still didn’t want to linger. As soon as they had their balance, they darted nimbly between the crowd and down a second alley.

It was second nature to move through the darker corners of the city, through alleys and around unexpected corners. At one point—with the mob far enough behind them—they hesitated by a building and considered the possibility of taking to the roofs. But the handholds were at all the wrong heights, and they didn’t have time to learn a new route now.

“I know where to go,” Amber said, voicing Huey’s thoughts, but it was redundant; the fusion was moving with stealth and certainty towards a deserted mansion deep in the city. They didn’t waver, didn’t tire. Amber was confident and _comfortable_ , even in these circumstances.

But they froze when they reached their target.

There were townspeople gathered in front of the mansion. Only gathered there. They were loitering in front of it—not searching it. There was no reason to be afraid, no reason to do anything but creep past them and down to the basement.

Amber _wasn’t_ afraid.

Amber was _furious_.

In an instant, they had drawn Huey’s wand out of the gem on their throat and fortified it with Monica’s power. “Let’s see what this does,” they muttered, and brought the wand down in a wide motion.

A wave of searing-hot air burst out of the wand and towards the crowd.

The humans screamed. They had no idea what had hit them, and when Amber sent a second wave of heat their way, all they could do was cover their faces and scatter. Amber stepped carefully out of the way of their flight and noted with grim satisfaction that there were fresh burns on the faces of the humans that passed. Then, once the coast was clear, they darted for the mansion, pulled the door open just enough, and slipped inside. Through the trap door, down the stairs, and safe.

Amber swelled back into sight, collapsed into a chair that was oddly small for them, and absently used Huey’s wand to light a candle. As it caught, they looked around at the glittering treasures that surrounded them. They felt familiar comfort and surprised wonder in equal measure. Reaching out to pick up a coin—this one was counterfeit—they turned it over between their fingers.

“Should we unfuse…? …We don’t have to…”

Who was it that asked the question, and who answered? The question certainly wasn’t Amber’s; they were as comfortable as they’d been out on the streets, even now that the danger had passed. Perhaps even more so. But there were stirrings of Huey—wariness covered by careful thought—and Monica—curiosity, the desire to see more and learn more—waking in their mind again. They wanted to get to their feet; they wanted to stay seated, resting. They wanted to stay like this. A long moment passed in which they just fiddled with the coin, turning it over and over in their hand.

Finally, they spoke, hesitantly. “Do you mind if I take a look…?”

And with that, with an easy and peaceful tug, they pulled apart. Huey remained in the chair—he fit properly into it now—and Monica stood to approach the gleaming piles of treasure. Huey wondered what she was thinking; wondered what she thought of the violence they’d wreaked on the loiterers together, what she thought of their easy escape through the dark corners of the city. He wondered—it only occurred to him now to wonder—why he hadn’t felt her muted surprise before.

He wondered if she was thinking similar thoughts about him.

 She ran her hands over the decorated molding of a grandfather clock; she picked up a carved gold goblet, put it back down. Finally, she turned back around.

“Huey,” she asked, “what is this place?”


End file.
